Palworld is playable on Steam Deck, but needs some work
Palworld is now available in Early Access on Steam and in Game Preview mode on Xbox. The “Pokémon-with-Guns” game is also playable on Valve’s Steam Deck, where I’ve been playing ever since Palworld launched.
Yes, Palworld is officially “Playable” on Steam Deck, which in Valve’s definition means that the game is “functional on Steam Deck, but may require some additional effort to interact with or configure it.” Valve also warns that some in-game text may be small and difficult to read on the Steam Deck screen, and users will need to adjust some graphics settings themselves.
Palworld on Steam Deck plays just like its bigger PC sibling: it’s a fully functional open-world survival game with dozens of off-brand Pokémon friends in the palm of your hand. There isn’t a gameplay element that the Steam Deck version lacks compared to the other versions, but it can also be a bit clunky and often feel a bit broken. I’ve had some trouble using the Steam Deck’s gamepad controls to navigate the game’s menus; some button presses just don’t register consistently, and I’m confused about how to navigate certain menus. And Valve’s warnings about small in-game text should be heeded. PalworldThe device’s interface is built for much larger screens and some button icons are difficult to make out.
Graphically, the game defaults to low settings, which gives a refresh rate of 25-35 fps. Adjusting these settings further will give you better performance without sacrificing much in visual quality. Palworld looks good and runs a little better, usually at a frame rate of 30 fps (which you can lock) with the following settings, at the Steam Deck’s native 1200 x 800 resolution:
- VSync — off
- Motion Blur — off
- Maximum FPS — 30
- Anti-aliasing — TSR (or TAA)
- View distance — low
- Grass – average
- Shadows – medium
- Effects Quality — average
- Texture quality — average
Manually setting all those graphics options to ‘low’ will get you to an inconsistent 40-50fps, but the sheer ugliness of those visuals may not be worth it. A mostly solid 30fps will probably suit your needs better.
Palworld There is clearly still a lot of work needed to be fully “verified” on Steam Deck, especially around various UI elements and improved support for gamepad controls. But it’s more than playable for now and worth trying out on your Steam Deck if you have one.